Do I need to apt-mark hold the KDE package if i will do a apt full-upgrade on my distro that uses Gnome by default?

Question

I want to switch to the KDE desktop environment. But my distro uses gnome by default. Now if i run the apt full-upgrade command, the default DE that comes with it is Gnome and not KDE. Wouldn't that also put back Gnome and i would have to uninstall Gnome manually again, because the repository contains Gnome?

1.) How do i stop Gnome from installing when i do a apt full-upgrade? (Since i don't want Gnome)

2.) How do i go about managing my KDE package (i.e updating it).

Do i also do a apt-mark hold on the KDE package just to "prevent any potential tamper" whenever i do apt full-upgrade? and then just

apt-get update && apt-get upgrade KDE commands to update it?

Answer 1

No, no, no.

gnome and KDE would be provided by different packages (actually, lots of packages for gnome and for KDE).

If you want to use a different Desktop Environment, you can install that package.

But my distro uses gnome by default.

This is just a default

Now if i run the apt full-upgrade command, the default DE that comes with it is Gnome and not KDE.

No. It will upgrade all packages. From gnome, from KDE or from the hundreds of developers that make software not associated with any of those projects.

Wouldn't that also put back Gnome and i would have to uninstall Gnome manually again, because the repository contains Gnome?

No. In fact, you wouldn't need to uninstall gnome to use KDE, both can coexist (you may uninstall gnome if you want to save disk space, but it's not needed)

gnome might get reinstalled if the upgrade added gnome as a dependency. You would see it on the list of packages to upgrade, though.

1.) How do i stop Gnome from installing when i do a apt full-upgrade? (Since i don't want Gnome)

Why do you think it will be installed?

2.) How do i go about managing my KDE package (i.e updating it).

Do i also do a apt-mark hold on the KDE package just to "prevent any potential tamper" whenever i do apt full-upgrade? and then just apt-get update && apt-get upgrade KDE commands to update it?

No. apt full-upgrade will upgrade the KDE packages with no issue. Setting holds on KDE packages could prevent the upgrade to actually work correctly on certain cases, for no benefit.

Answer 2

How do i stop Gnome from installing when i do a apt full-upgrade? (Since i don't want Gnome)

sudo apt purge <everything_gnome_related>

How do i go about managing my KDE package (i.e updating it).

I'm not sure you understand what you're dealing with. Both KDE and Gnome comprise a number of packages which you can install/upgrade. You shouldn't treat desktop environments differently than other 'normal' packages.

Do I need to apt-mark hold the KDE package

You do not understand what hold means. It actually prevents packages from being upgraded. It does not actually prevent anything from being uninstalled/installed.

hold is normally used to pin certain packages versions in case someone doesn't want updates for the held packages being installed (e.g. updates might contain bugs or remove features).